“It is true that Jesus forbids his people to worry. But to be free from worry and to be free from trouble are not the same thing.…it is reasonable to trust in our heavenly Father’s love, even in times of grievous trouble, because we have been privileged to see it revealed in Christ and his […]
Read More They said it better than me: worry and anxietyJesus was concerned to correct false views of righteousness. As an example, Jesus’ most famous sermon — the one given on the mount (Mt. 5-7) was given largely with a view of revealing God’s standard (and provision) of righteousness. The problem, as Jesus revealed it, is that there are competing forms of righteousness and none […]
Read More Anxiety and God’s righteousnessOne of the dominant views about the biblical ordinance of communion is what is called “transubstantiation.” The term comes from the Latin terms trans (meaning “change”) and substantiation (meaning “substance,” or “essence”). The view is that the bread and cup of communion substantially become the literal body and blood of Christ. The outward form is […]
Read More Sunday leftovers: communion and transubstantiationContemplating Psalm 16:8-9, Spurgeon [in The Treasury of David] outlines the importance and benefits of an ongoing consideration of and meditation on God: A sense of the divine presence our best support. It yields, 1. Good confidence concerning things without. I shall not be moved. 2. Good cheer within. My heart is glad. 3. Good […]
Read More I have set the Lord continually before me“Prepare your people for suffering,” one pastor has repeatedly advised other pastors. He’s right. And his counsel imitates what Christ did for His disciples while on earth, and what His Word repeatedly does for its readers even now. Persecution and suffering are inevitable for the follower of Christ (2 Tim. 3:12). Make a choice to […]
Read More Suffer wellEvery life has good and trouble — or to use the terms of Luke 6, blessings and woes. Each day has some of both. A card of encouragement and a hospital bill come in the same mail box: blessing and woe. A perfectly baked potato and an overdone steak are served as part of the […]
Read More Blessings and woesIn the interest of “something is better than nothing,” here are a few blurbs and comments on some books I’ve recently completed reading: Title: Bringing the Gospel Home: Witnessing to Family Members, Close Friends, and Others Who Know You Well Author: Randy Newman Publisher: Crossway, 2011, 216 pp., $14.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): Summary: Newman not […]
Read More Book blurbsJerry Bridges and Bob Benvington (The Bookends of the Christian Life) ask some insightful questions to help determine if one is living out of self-righteousness or Christ-righteousness. When you analyze your Christian walk: 1) Do you tend to live by a list of dos and don’ts? 2) Is it difficult for you to respect those […]
Read More Self-righteous or Christ-righteous?Examples of people with hard hearts abound in Scripture. Pharaoh is the first one who is explicitly said to have a hard heart (Ex. 7:13ff). He was followed by Sihon (Dt. 2:30), Israel in the wilderness (Ps. 95:8), the inhabitants of the land of Canaan at the return from Egypt (Josh. 11:20), the Philistines when […]
Read More What makes a heart hard?It’s late Saturday morning and you are trying to make progress on your too-long weekend to-do list when your door bell rings. You weren’t expecting company and as you go to the door you glance outside the window and don’t see a car in the driveway. “I wonder who it could be,” you muse. You […]
Read More Honoring ChristWe like stories. Sometimes they are dramatic, sometimes inspiring, sometimes perplexing, sometimes amusing, and almost always entertaining. But we don’t just tell stories to entertain each other. Our stories have purpose; they are designed ultimately to illustrate a truth and instruct the mind and conscience. The writers of Scripture used stories in the same way […]
Read More Only GodToday was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Typically, this day recognizes the inherent worth of unborn children, in opposition to the abortion movement. But to recognize the value of a human life is to recognize the value of every human life — from unborn infants to the disabled to the elderly. A few resources that […]
Read More The value of a human lifeWords matter. And the way words are spoken matters, too. This is true of all words, including words that are spoken to communicate the gospel. A believer cannot be content to merely speak the truth. He must speak the truth of the gospel with grace (Col. 4:6; cf. also Eph. 4:15 for the general principle). […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers: Gracious and salty speechToday is Sunday. So the first part of Psalm 13:6 resonates (at least a little) with us: “I will sing to the Lord.” It’s fitting. It’s right. It’s what we should do. It’s what we have to do. We will sing. But notice why David says he will sing: “because He has dealt bountifully with […]
Read More I will sing to the LordThe humanity of Christ is a great comfort for believers. Certainly we are dependent on His deity, for that is where His authority and His redemptive powers reside, yet in His humanity, we have a Savior who is sympathetic to our needs. He understands us and our circumstances (e.g., Heb 4:14-16). Yet it can be […]
Read More Nowhere to lay His head
Words of Grace 